Page 54 of Christmas at the Movies
‘Is that supposed to be me?’ asked Holly.
Nick nodded.
‘That’s really good.’ She propped the card up on the table and gave her brother a hug.
‘Get off!’ protested Nick. But he had a smile on his face.
Dad opened the front door and stood at the entrance. ‘Boy, is it cold out there.’ He shut the door, then peeled off his jacket and gloves.
‘Have some tea to warm up,’ said Mum, pouring him a steaming mug.
‘Thanks,’ said Dad.
The family sat around the kitchen table and Dad stuck sixteen candles around the cake’s edge.
‘Dad and I got you this.’ Mum handed Holly a small turquoise-blue box, wrapped with a ribbon.
Holly untied the ribbon and gasped when she saw Tiffany & Co written on the box. She opened it and took out a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she said, letting Mum fasten it around her neck. ‘But it must have been expensive.’
Dad smiled. ‘It isn’t every day that our only daughter turns sixteen.’
Mum nodded. ‘We wanted to get you something special. It seemed fitting, because we named you after the main character inBreakfast at Tiffany’s.’
Holly loved being named after Holly Golightly. She had dressed up as her namesake for a fancy-dress party – a little black dress accessorised with pearls, long gloves and an even longer cigarette holder – but none of her friends had got the reference.
I bet Aaron would get it,she thought.
‘I love it,’ said Holly, touching the pendant. She hugged her parents. Mum looked ridiculously pleased and Holly felt bad she’d been so mean to her.I’m going to be nicer from now on,she resolved.
‘Can we have cake now?’ begged Nick, swiping a bit of icing from the side of the cake.
Holly batted him away. ‘Hands off – I get the first piece.’
Dad lit the candles and they all sang ‘Happy Birthday’.
‘Make a wish,’ said Mum.
Holly closed her eyes.I wish for Aaron to kiss me,she thought, blowing out the candles.
‘I bet I know what you wished for,’ crowed Nick as Mum handed out slices of cake.
Holly’s face flamed. Was her crush that obvious?
‘You wished to become a famous movie star,’ guessed Nick, shovelling a bite of cake into his mouth.
‘Speaking about movies …’ said Mum, looking like she was about to burst. ‘I have some big news. Last night I met Noa Drakos!’
‘The director?’ said Dad.
Mum’s eyes sparkled with excitement. ‘We both had to spend the night at the cinema because of the snow—’
‘Hang on a minute,’ said Dad. ‘He was there with you all night?’
‘Yes,’ replied Mum. ‘There was no way for him to get back to his hotel. So, anyhow, we got talking – first about Bergman, and then about other stuff – and …’
Holly’s heart began to pound. Maybe Mum had told him about her and the director wanted to give her a part in the movie.
